The Max Planck Instit ute for the History of Science (MPIWG) is an internationally respected rese arch institute of the Max Planck Society (MPG) with currently two research departments, several research groups, and a graduate school. At the MPIWG, around 150 scholars from all over the world investigate the sciences past a nd present, working together on a collective, collaborative, and transdisci plinary basis. The MPIWG is renowned worldwide as a hub for reflection on t he role of the sciences in politics and society. It is located in southwest ern Berlin, close to the campus of the Free University Berlin and other res earch institutions.
The project “The Sphere. Knowledge System Evoluti on and the Shared Scientific Identity of Europe” (https://sphaera.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de) led by Matteo Valleriani, seeks to appoint
for two years, with employment contra
ct (TVöD pay scales up to level E13)
starting as soon as pos sible.
The overarching objective of the Sphere project is to investig ate the processes of transformation within knowledge systems, with a partic ular emphasis on the homogenization of scientific knowledge. The project fo cuses on late medieval and early modern astronomical knowledge, specificall y as it circulated in the form of university textbooks and commentaries.
The study of early modern scientific commentaries is crucial in underst anding the production of knowledge during this period. Within fields such a s natural philosophy, the mathematical sciences, and particularly astronomy , commentaries served as a primary medium for developing and presenting new ideas. These texts often diverged from their reference works, either by ch allenging them directly or by exploring new concepts that were only loosely related to the original texts. As a result, late medieval and early modern commentaries frequently exhibit a heterogeneous mix of content compared to the traditional texts within these disciplines.
The postdoc position aims to investigate a selection of early modern commentaries on late medie val astronomical works. The goals are twofold:
a) To describe the div
ersity of topics that emerge through this mode of knowledge production.
b) To deepen the understanding of one or more of these topics, aligned wi
th the research interests of the scholar who fills the position.
The commentaries span from the mid-15th century to the mid-17th century. While the commentary corpus is predefined, the candidate will be responsible for selecting specific texts based on the subjects they wish to explore further . This corpus is outlined in the Sphere project and is accessible through i ts online database: https://db.sphaera.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
You r responsibilities:
Your profile:
What we offer:
The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer that strives to foster an inclusive workpl ace. As an institute of the MPG, the Max Planck Institute for the History o f Science supports a working community for all free from discrimination and harassment. We explicitly encourage applications from qualified individual s who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to age, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender, nationality, ra ce, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or religion.
Please follow the links to find out more about the MPIWG’s policies on& nbsp;gender equality&n bsp;and hiring practices f or people with disabilities, as well as Germany’s anti-discrimination l aws as outlined in the General Equal Treatment Act.
Your application:
Please submit your application with complete documents, preferabl y without a photograph, through our application portal. Include cover lette r, curriculum vitae, list of publications, and copies of qualifications (in a single PDF file). Please include the names of two potential referees in your cover letter.
Applications must be received by
Please note that we can only accept electronic applications submitted through the portal.
For any questions about the position or the application process, please
contact Matteo Valleriani (
Max-Planck-Insti tut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany< /p>